Special Issues

Foods publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Lactic Acid Bacteria: The Functions and Applications in Foods
edited by and Zhenlin Liao
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 7 articles | Viewed by 18382 | Submission Open
Keywords: lactic acid bacteria; bioactive compounds; probiotics; prebiotics; postbiotics; gut microbiota; antibacterial; quorum sensing; biofilm
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Microbiology)
Chemical Properties, Extraction Methods and Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Substances in Plant Foods
edited by Cecilia E. Martínez-Sánchez and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 9 articles | Viewed by 18295 | Submission Open
Keywords: bioactive compounds; extraction methods; bioaccessibility; functional foods; chemical properties
(This special issue belongs to the Section Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods)
Agro-Food Chain By-Products and Plant Origin Foods to Obtain High-Value-Added Foods—2nd Edition submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 13537 | Submission Open
Keywords: sensory and consumer science; market value of plant-based foods; by-products as product ingredient; circular economy and business models; new product development; sustainable business models; consumer acceptance and preferences
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Foods)
The Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables—3rd Edition submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 11800 | Submission Open
Keywords: fruits; horticultural products; health-promoting properties; phytochemicals; epidemiological studies; toxicological studies; nutritional studies; conventional agriculture; organic food
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Nutrition)
Food Waste as Ingredients in Functional Food Development: Sources, Extractions and Functionality submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 7 articles | Viewed by 10902 | Submission Open
Keywords: food waste valorisation; functional food ingredients; bioactive compound extraction; nutritional sustainability; the circular economy in food systems; by-product utilisation; functional food development; green extraction technologies; waste-to-wealth strategies; food industry innovation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods)
Innovation In and Optimization of Strategies for the Ethical Food Industry: Production, Packaging, and By-Product Valorization submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 10685 | Submission Open
Keywords: reduction of food wastage; reduction of food loss along the food chain; including the production; post-harvest; and processing levels; development of optimized food production processes; innovative packaging solutions; new strategies for extending food shelf life; valorisation of food by-products
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Security and Sustainability)
Alternative Protein: Sources, Bioactivities, Potential Health Benefits, and Application
edited by Deepak Kadam and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 6 articles | Viewed by 10667 | Submission Open
Keywords: alternative proteins; bioactive peptides; sustainable protein sources; health benefits; food applications; plant-based proteins; insect proteins; algae-derived proteins; cultivated meat; functional foods
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Foods)
Edible Insects: Safety, Sustainability, and Potential Applications in Food Systems and Bioproducts submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 10220 | Submission Open
Keywords: sustainable food systems; environmental impacts; alternative protein sources; circular bioeconomy; industrial applications; bioproducts; sustainable insect production; sustainable practices
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Security and Sustainability)
Novel Insights into Food Flavor Chemistry and Analysis submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 7 articles | Viewed by 10199 | Submission Open
Keywords: sensory analysis; SPME/GC– MS analysis; food flavor; volatile aroma compounds; sensory profile; consumer acceptance; novel food; innovative ingredients; emerging technologies
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Quality and Safety)
Enhancing Food Safety Through Artificial Intelligence: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities
edited by and Xuejin Mao
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 9280 | Submission Open
Keywords: chemometrics and deep learning; spectroscopy technology and modeling; food adulteration; artificial intelligence technology; food fermentation and metabonomics; food safety and quality control; chromatography– mass spectrometry technology; nuclear magnetic resonance; risk assessment and management; microbial modeling
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Quality and Safety)
Digital Transformation and Green Technology Innovation in Food Production submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 8975 | Submission Open
Keywords: industry 4.0; green technology; sustainability; digitalization; food processing; waste reduction; circular economy; smart technologies; 3D printing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Engineering and Technology)
Functional Bioactive Compounds from Fruit and Vegetable By-Products: Extraction, Identification, and Valorisation
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 8555 | Submission Open
Keywords: functional ingredients; waste valorization; plant-based compounds; sustainable processing; biorefinery approaches; food by-product recovery; health-promoting compounds; waste-to-value solutions; biocircular systems; zero-waste food systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Security and Sustainability)
Sensory and Consumer Testing of Novel Methods and Novel Foods
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 8496 | Submission Open
Keywords: novel; food; beverage; packaging; sensory; consumer; methods
(This special issue belongs to the Section Sensory and Consumer Sciences)
Microorganisms in Fermented Foods: Diversity, Function, and Safety submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 7895 | Submission Open
Keywords: fermentation; functional; microorganisms; lactic acid bacteria
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Microbiology)
Development and Utilization of Marine-Derived Functional Proteins and Peptides
edited by Yinan Du and Jianan Yan
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 6778 | Submission Open
Keywords: food processing; marine-derived proteins; bioactive peptides; functional foods; encapsulation; bioavailability; hydrocolloids; nutrients; sustainable protein sources; delivery systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Foods of Marine Origin)
Innovative Approaches to Obtaining Functional Compounds from Agri-Food Byproducts
edited by Donatella Restuccia and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 6410 | Submission Open
Keywords: agri-food wastes; functional compounds; nutraceuticals; innovative extractions; circular economy; waste management; food sustainability; innovative food formulations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods)
Starch: Structure, Modification and Nutritional Function
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 6043 | Submission Open
Keywords: starch; carbohydrate; gut health; nutrition; in vitro models; starch modification; intestinal flora
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry)
Application of Microorganisms and Enzymes in Fermentation and Food Flavor
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5804 | Submission Open
Keywords: microorganisms; enzymes; fermented food; fermentation process; food; flavor; enzymatic catalysis; bioactive compounds
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Biotechnology)
Application of Traditional and Innovative Technologies for the Extraction of Biologically Active Compounds from Natural Food Resources
edited by , , Agnieszka Grzegorczyk and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5732 | Submission Open
Keywords: extraction technologies; plant food resources; edible insects and other non-plant resources; functional food production; total phenolic and flavonoid content; bioactive compounds; antioxidant activity; antimicrobial activity; antiviral activity; cytotoxicity
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Engineering and Technology)
Plant Bioactives: Extraction and Utilization in Food Industry
edited by Maria João Cebola and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 5249 | Submission Open
Keywords: extraction techniques; types of bioactive compounds; applications in food; bioavailability and stability; sustainability and by-products; challenges and regulation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Foods)
Development of Green and Advanced Food Freezing/Anti-Freezing Technologies
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5217 | Submission Open
Keywords: freezing technologies; physical fields; supercooling; ice nucleation; ice recrystallization; thawing; post-thaw quality; anti-freezing; cryopreservation; cryoprotectants
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Engineering and Technology)
Microbiological Safety of Food—2nd Edition
edited by and Valentina Gallo
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 5192 | Submission Open
Keywords: food safety; food chain; food packaging; food preservation; food storage; microbiological control; analytical methods; shelf-life of dairy products; meat products; vegetables; ready-to-eat food
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Microbiology)
Mycotoxins in Foods: Occurrence, Detection, and Control
edited by , Donato Greco and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5086 | Submission Open
Keywords: food safety; mycotoxins; toxicity; HACCP; sampling; detection; occurrence; pre-harvest control; post-harvest control; decontamination/detoxification
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Quality and Safety)
Cereal Products: Physicochemical Properties, Processing Technology and Nutritional Quality submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4990 | Submission Open
Keywords: cereals; whole flours; refined flours; baking; extrusion; healthy profile; processing techniques; quality control
(This special issue belongs to the Section Grain)
Characterization of Food Products for Quality and Safety Control: 2nd Edition submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4640 | Submission Open
Keywords: food characterization; food quality; food composition; bioactive compounds; food safety; contaminants; analytical methods; traditional products; novel food
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Quality and Safety)
Advances in Encapsulation Technology in Edible Films/Coatings for the Delivery of Food Bioactive Compounds
edited by Andresa Gomes and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4078 | Submission Open
Keywords: edible films and coatings; bioactive compound encapsulation; micro-/nano-encapsulation; functional food packaging; antimicrobial packaging; biodegradable and eco-friendly materials; bioavailability and release kinetics; emulsion delivery systems for essential oils; multifunctional properties of active composite films/coatings; smart packaging and food preservation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Engineering and Technology)
Comprehensive Analytical Techniques for Food Contact Materials: Composition and Safety
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4041 | Submission Open
Keywords: food packaging materials; migration; NIAS (non-intentionally added substances); recycling packaging; biodegradable materials; emerging packaging materials; mass spectrometry; non-targeted analysis; risk assessment
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Analytical Methods)
Non-Thermal Technologies for Food Safety and the Preservation of Bioactive Compounds in Fruit and Vegetable-Based Products
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3813 | Submission Open
Keywords: non-thermal technologies; food safety; foodborne pathogens; bioactive compounds; antioxidants; high hydrostatic pressure; cold atmospheric plasma; pulsed electric fields; ultraviolet light; pulsed light
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Engineering and Technology)
Sustainability of Olive Oil System (2nd Edition) submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3662 | Submission Open
Keywords: sustainability; olive oil; biodiversity; environment; economics; green chemistry; byproducts; innovation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Security and Sustainability)
Application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Food Analysis
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3653 | Submission Open
Keywords: food analysis; food quality; food safety; food authenticity; AI; machine learning
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Analytical Methods)
Traditional and Emerging Food Drying Technologies
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 3626 | Submission Open
Keywords: convenience food; solar drying; convection drying; infrared drying; vacuum drying; freeze drying; microwave drying; hybrid food supplements
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Engineering and Technology)
Phenolic and Polyphenolic Compounds in Plant-Based Foods: Antioxidant Activity, Mechanisms and Potential Applications
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 3176 | Submission Open
Keywords: polyphenols; antioxidants; mechanisms; health benefits; bioavailability; plant-based functional foods; LC-MS; metabolomics; structure– activity relationship
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Nutrition)
Environmental and Comprehensive Utilization of Agricultural and Food Production Wastes and Residues
edited by , Guanhua Wang and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3079 | Submission Open
Keywords: agricultural and food wastes; clean production; comprehensive utilization; biorefining process; functional food additives; bio-fuels; -materials and -chemicals; separation and purification; bioconversion; pyrolysis; novel technologies
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Engineering and Technology)
Feature Review on Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2902 | Submission Open
Keywords: nutraceuticals and new sources; recovery from byproducts and waste; novel formulations; food supplements; novel foods and new sources; efficacy and safety; novel analytical approaches; mechanism of action; in vitro and in vivo assessments of efficacy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods)
Nutritional Value and Health Properties in Milk and Dairy Products: Focusing on Functional Compounds
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2755 | Submission Open
Keywords: milk; dairy products; functional compounds; nutritional properties; health benefits; bioavailability; metabolic health; personalized nutrition
(This special issue belongs to the Section Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods)
Innovations in Food Technology for Functional Foods: Exploring Sources, Processing Techniques and Health Benefits
edited by , Vanessa Naciuk Castelo-Branco and Renata Galhardo Borguini
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2418 | Submission Open
Keywords: functional foods; food technology; bioactive compounds; encapsulation; extraction techniques; health benefits; phytochemicals; antioxidant activity; bioavailability; sustainable processing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods)
Key Bioactive Components of Probiotics and Postbiotics and Their Applications in Foods
edited by and Qi Zhang
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 1841 | Submission Open
Keywords: probiotics; postbiotics; key bioactive components; screening of bioactive components; delivery technologies; gut microbiota; intestinal homeostasis; functional gastrointestinal disorders
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Microbiology)
Novel and Emerging Food Allergens—Immunological Characterisation submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1840 | Submission Open
Keywords: allergenicity; risk assessment; intervention; novel allergens; emerging allergens; microbiome; food safety; public health; clinical implications; regulatory perspectives; antibodies; allergy treatment; allergy prevention; food allergen management; food processing
Detection and Control Technologies of Harmful Microorganisms in Food Supply Chain
edited by , , Rong Wang and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1670 | Submission Open
Keywords: quantitative microbial risk assessment/predictive microbiology  ; microbial detection/inactivation/transfer/removal  ; control technology  ; next-generation sequencing  ; food hygiene/sanitation  ; food inspection  ; foodborne outbreaks  ; foodborne viruses  ; foodborne pathogens
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Quality and Safety)
New Research in Brewing: Ingredients, Brewing and Quality Improvement
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1669 | Submission Open
Keywords: beer; brewery; beer adjuncts; beer elaboration; beer analysis; beer chemistry; beer yeast; beer polyphenols; craft beer
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Biotechnology)
Advances in the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Food Quality and Safety Analysis
edited by Yongqiang Shi and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1583 | Submission Open
Keywords: artificial intelligence; food quality and safety analysis; machine learning; computer vision; predictive modeling; real-time quality monitoring; risk prediction; authenticity verification
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Analytical Methods)
Food Preservation and Safety: Innovative Applications of Physical, Chemical, and Biological Methods and Their Interactions with Foodborne Microorganisms
edited by Wei Wei and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1563 | Submission Open
Keywords: food preservation; food safety; physical methods; chemical methods; biological methods; foodborne microorganisms; high-pressure processing; pulsed electric fields; cold plasma; natural preservatives; biocontrol agents
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Quality and Safety)
Detection and Characterization of Natural Toxins in Food Matrices submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1523 | Submission Open
Keywords: natural toxins; mycotoxins and aquatic biotoxins; pyrrolizidine alkaloids; tropane alkaloids; opium alkaloids; glycoalkaloids; advanced analytical methodologies; green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) principles; occurrence in food; exposure for the population
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Toxicology)
Flavor and Aroma Analysis as an Approach to Quality Control of Foods
edited by Ying Gao, Yuming Wei and Qing Meng
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1452 | Submission Open
Keywords: sensomics; analytical method optimization; quality assessment; food control; algorithm model
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Quality and Safety)
Insights into Chemical Composition, Authenticity and Nutrition Value of Honey
edited by and Blanka Bilić Rajs
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 1378 | Submission Open
Keywords: honey; melissopalynological analysis; sensory analysis; physicochemical characteristics; nutritional properties; functional food; honey quality control; authenticity
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Quality and Safety)
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry in Food Analysis: Development and Applications submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 1204 | Submission Open
Keywords: food analysis; food control; food safety; liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; nutrients; contaminants
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Analytical Methods)
Advances in Wine Physicochemical Properties, Sensory Attributes, and Health Benefits: 2nd Edition submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1049 | Submission Open
Keywords: wine quality; wine technology; wine yeasts; wine aging; sensorial properties; physical/chemical properties; health benefits
(This special issue belongs to the Section Drinks and Liquid Nutrition)
Research Progress in Detection Technology for Dairy Food Quality and Safety
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 891 | Submission Open
Keywords: dairy quality; food safety; detection technology; spectroscopy; chromatography; biosensors; multi-omics; data fusion; non-destructive testing; high-throughput analysis
(This special issue belongs to the Section Dairy)
Genomic and Proteomic Analysis of Food Microorganisms
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 882 | Submission Open
Keywords: probiogenomics; proteomic analysis; screening of probiotic microorganisms; mining of probiotic functions; bioactive metabolites; metabolic network modeling; target prediction; gut microecology regulation; health-promoting effect
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Microbiology)
Detection and Control of Foodborne Pathogens in Food Supply Chain submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 863 | Submission Open
Keywords: food safety; foodborne outbreak; food safety analytical methods; characterization of foodborne pathogens; performance validation of analytical methods used in food safety; results of monitoring and surveillance of official plans for food safety; foodborne outbreak investigation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Microbiology)
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